Combined slide rule and pencil



Nov. 9, 1954 OLE-SON 2,693,910

COMBINED SLIDE RULE AND PENCIL- Filed Nov. 20, 1953 IE1 IE1. III-F.3- -I1EE: E 315.7..

INVENT OR ATTORNEYS.

United States PatentOfiice 2,693,910 -Batented Nov. 9, .1954

'iTlris inventionrelates to improvements in slide rules and moreparticularly to a novel slide rule construction -:-well: adapted for association with a mechanical pencil, .aialthough notrestrictedto suchassociation.

The rule includes-amelong'atdbody having a longitudinal groove,-and an elongated slide in said groove, '-'said body and--=slide 'having'cooperable calculating graduations; and'o'ne objectof the invention isto make novel provision for normally holding said slide against move- 1 merit Withrespect-to said body.

. Another object of the invention is to provide the slide holding means in the-formbf-a split 'collar'seated'in a peripheralgroovein the body and mov'ableinto and from a transverse groove in'theslide, whereby this slide may be i 'held -against -movementor fre'ed formovement, as re- 'quired.

A further object of the invention is to provide-a resilient split collar for the afore'stated purpose, said collar being 'held inits operative position under the influence J f its own resiliency.

A still further obj'ectof theinvention' is to provide a :n'ovel construction inwhi'ch the split collar may be readily I F erqiandedx to released position by 'thumb' pressure on its en s.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel i construction in which the split'collarywhen released, constitutes 'a' slidable indicator cooperable 'with thegrziduations of the body and 'slide.

'Yet: another object oftheinvention is to provide a i slidef-rnle of the general typeset forth; in' which-a split tc'ollart constituting -a slidable indicator, is" held against rotation by means of'lugs on the collar ends slidablyengaged with longitudinal grooves in the body.

A further object is to provide Walls of the last named grooves with notches which normally receive the lugs of the collar ends and hold the collar against sliding, the lugs however being movable from the notches by thumb pressure on said collar ends, thereby freeing the collar for sliding movement.

A still further object is to provide a novel construction in which a split collar which normally holds the slide against movement, is manually turnable upon the body to and from operative position.

Yet another object is to provide an unusually simple and inexpensive construction which may be easily constructed from a modern plastic, thus facilitating manufacture and permitting profitable sale of the article at a reasonable price.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing, and particularly claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the preferred form of construction;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the split collar in its normal position holding the slide against movement;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the split collar released;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of a portion of the body; p 1 Fig. 7 is a fragmentary' front 6l6Vat1OIl'Sl10WlI1g a modi- *fied construction;

'Fig. 8-is an enlarged transverse-=sectionon line 88 i Fig; '9 -is a" fragmentary rear elevation of the modified construction shown in Fig." 7;

Fig. 10 isan" 'enlarged' transverse sectional-view on line 1010 of Fig.9, and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view. of the 'slide shown in Fig. 1.

Structural preferences have been disclosed in the draw- "ing' and-Willbe rather specifically' described, but it is to'v be understood thatvariations may'well be made.

.In the form ofcon'struction shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the elongated body 12 of the improved slide rule' is also the body of-a mechanical pencil, thepencil lead 13 being adjustable -by turning the .tip with respect to said body. However, it -is not essential'that the invention be associated with a pencil or the like as itopetates totally independently thereof.

A longitudinal groove'15'is formed in the front side of 'the 'body12, and an'elongated slide 16 is slidably mounted in said'groove' 15. The side walls of the'groove 15 are undercut and the side edges-of the slide are shaped irrconformity with saidsidewalls to prevent lateral movement of the slide from the groove.

The body 12 and slide 16 have cooperating graduations 17 and 18 respectively. The character of these graduations may be variedaccording tothecharacter of calculations it isdesired to make with the'rulefthat is, said graduations may be of a character to permit multiplication and division, orsaid graduations maybe of such a nature as to" permit any other calculations to -be made which are commonly made bymeans of a calculating rule.

- extending grooves'21 are-also formed in the-body 12 near the upper'endof'the latter. *One of the grooves 21 extends from the frontgroove 15-substantially to one of the rear" grooves19. "The other of the .grooves 21 ex- .tends fromthe'front'groove 15' substantially to the other of "the rear {grooves 19. The grooves-d1" diminish grad- -u'ally' indepthtowa'rd'the-rear-grooves- 19, and their depth at'said'grooves19is nil.

The upper end portion of the slide 16 has a transverse groove 22 which registers with the grooves 21 when said slide is in the fully retracted position shown in the drawmg.

A transversely split resilient collar 23 is seated in the grooves 21 and normally engages the groove 22 of the slide 16 as shown in Fig. 3, to hold said slide 16 against movement. The ends of the collar 23 have lugs 24 which are normally seated in the notches 20 of the rear groove 19, as seen in Fig. 3. These lugs 24 are thus normally out of alignment with the grooves 19 but are of such width as to be receivable in said grooves 19 when the ends of the collars are spread farther apart, as seen in Fig. 4. Such spreading of the collar ends so increases the diameter of the collar 23 as to move this collar from the groove 21 of the body 12 and from the groove 13 of the slide 16. Thus, the slide 16 is freed for longitudinal movement and the collar 23 is also freed for movement along the body and slide. The collar 23 then acts as a cursor or indicator cooperable with the graduations 17 and 18. If the collar 23 be of transparent plastic, as preferred, it may have an indicating line 25 cooperable with the graduations 17 and 18.

To effect the necessary spreading of the ends of the collar 12, it is simply necessary to press said ends toward the center of the body 12 with one thumb, as seen in Fig. 4, whereupon the end portions of the collar slide in opposite directions around the body, causing the required expansion of the collar to clear the grooves 21 and 22. When the parts are returned to their normal positions after performing a desired calculation, the collar 23 again snaps into the grooves 21 and 22, and the lugs 24 again enter the notches 20. The collar 23 and slide 16 are thus held against accidental movement, and the lugs 24 and notches 20 prevent accidental displacement of the collar ends.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 7 to 10, the front of the body 12 is grooved at 15 to receive the slide 16 and the rear of said body has grooves 19 corresponding to the grooves 17 but provided with no notches such as 20. The body 12 has a shallow circumferential groove 21 intersecting the groove 15, and the slide 16 has a shallow groove 22* which aligns with said groove 21 when said slide is fully retracted.

A transversely split resilient collar 23 is seated in the groove 21 and normally extends into the groove 22 to hold the slide 16 against movement. However, this collar 23 may be turned by hand to a position in which it will free the slide 16 as shown in Fig. 7. The resiliency of the collar 23* causes it to frictionally grip the body 12 and remain in any position to which it may be turned.

A cursor or indicator collar 26 is slidable frictionally on the body 12 and has lugs 27 at its ends slidable in the grooves 19 preventing it from accidentally turning out of cooperative relation with the body and slide graduations.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction and use of the invention will at once be apparent, and while there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a slide rule, an elongated cylindrical body having a longitudinal groove, an elongated slide extending longitudinally in said groove, said slide having a transverse groove in its outer side near one of its ends, and a split collar surrounding said body and movable into and out of said groove of said slide to either hold the latter or free it for use, said body having a peripheral groove receiving said split collar.

2. In a slide rule, an elongated body having a longitudinal groove, an elongated slide extending longitudinally in said groove, said body and slide having cooperating graduations, and a split indicator collar jointly surrounding said body and slide and cooperable with said graduations, the ends of said collar having lugs projecting beyond the inner periphery of said collar, said body having parallel longitudinal grooves slidably receiving said lugs.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1; said body and slide having cooperating graduations, said split collar being resilient and being expansible from said peripheral groove of said body and said transverse groove of said slide, whereby said collar also forms an indicator slidable with respect to said body and slide.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1; said collar being rotatable from the groove of said slide to free said slide for operation.

5. In a slide rule, an elongated body having a longitudinal groove, an elongated slide extending longitudinally in said groove, said body and slide having cooperating graduations, and a split indicator collar jointly surrounding said body and slide and cooperable with said graduations, said slide and body having portions normally engaged by said collar to hold said body, slide and collar against relative sliding, said collar being resilient and being normally expansible from said portions of said body and slide to free said body, slide and collar for relative longitudinal movements.

6. In a slide rule, an elongated body having a longitudinal groove, an elongated slide extending longitudinally in said groove, said body and slide having cooperating graduations, said body having two shallow arcuate grooves extending circumferentially of said body from opposite sides of said longitudinal groove, said shallow grooves gradually decreasing in depth away from said longitudinal groove and having nil depth at the ends thereof remote from said longitudinal groove, said slide having a transverse groove to normally register with said arcuate grooves, and a split resilient collar normally seated in said arcuate and transverse grooves to hold said slide against movement, the ends of said collar being disposed at the nil-depth ends of said arcuate grooves, whereby said collar may be manually expanded from said arcuate and transverse grooves to free said slide and to allow movement of said collar longitudinally of said body and slide.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6; said ends of said collar having lugs projecting beyond the inner periphery of said collar, said body having parallel longitudinal grooves in which said lugs are slidable when said collar is expanded, the inner side walls of said parallel grooves having notches in which said lugs are normally seated. 8. In a slide rule, an elongated cylindrical body havmg a longitudinal groove, an elongated slide extending longitudinally in said groove, said body and slide having cooperating graduations, a split collar rotatably embracing said body and slide and held against longitudinal movement on said body, said slide having a groove into which said collar is rotatable to normally hold said slide against movement, and an indicator collar surrounding said body and cooperable with said graduations.

No references cited. 

